Via Slashdot, there’s an article about some recent experimental results in quantum physics that push some surprising conclusions:
The result means that we must not only give up Einstein’s hope of “no spooky action at a distance,” we must also give up (some of) the idea that the world exists when we are not looking.
So one or both of realism or locality are “inconsistent” with quantum physics, where:
realism, meaning that reality exists when we are not observing it; and locality, meaning that separated events cannot influence one another instantaneously.
So, apparently the empiricists were right that reality exists through observation and Locke was right that time was a figment of human thought. In other words, the experimental results don’t make sense …
… unless certain intuitive features of realism are abandoned …
Do you see? It doesn’t make sense unless you give up on the idea that it makes sense. All Hail Eris! Descartes is the Devil!